DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Weedy Brassica rapa in Mexico: a unique study system to investigate potential ongoing "redomestication" of a feral crop

本项目研究了一种重要的食物来源——芥菜的驯化。了解从野生植物到驯化植物的转变不仅为作物改良提供了重要的知识，而且为研究进化变化提供了独特的机会，因为驯化通常涉及对首选性状的选择。大多数人类依赖于几千年前从野生植物驯化而来的作物，这使得确定人类和环境在驯化中的双重作用成为一项挑战。今天人类驯化植物的例子或许能让我们对这一过程有所了解。研究人员将研究七个墨西哥文化群体与杂草田芥之间的持续关系，以了解驯化的生态和文化方面。芥菜在欧洲和亚洲被驯化，并被选择为许多不同的形式，如芜菁、白菜和白菜。目前尚不清楚哪些驯化的或杂草的形式被引入墨西哥，以及它们是从哪个地区引入的。该项目综合了来自遗传数据、物理测量、化学和农民访谈的信息，以研究正在进行的驯化过程。此外，该项目将包括对本科生和研究生的培训，并有助于我们对作物驯化、粮食安全和入侵物种控制的理解。油菜为阐明植物野性和驯化提供了强有力的研究体系。广泛的基因组工具的可用性和植物的短生命周期有助于使用推断功能强大的技术来阐明墨西哥全国范围内入侵芥菜的局部适应和人工选择的性质。该研究涉及rna测序、互惠移植实验、硫代葡萄糖苷化学以及半结构化和结构化访谈的新应用，以研究一种重要食物来源的持续驯化。数据将量化墨西哥rapa的遗传结构和引种历史、不同族群对芥菜的当地使用和管理做法，以及不同的管理制度如何推动当地种群对该植物的适应。

This project investigates the domestication of an important food source, weedy field mustard (Brassica rapa L.). Understanding the transition from wild to domesticated plants provides both important knowledge for crop improvement and a unique opportunity to study evolutionary change because domestication often involves selection for preferred traits. Most humans rely on crops that were domesticated from wild plants thousands of years ago, which makes it a challenge to determine the dual roles of humans and environment in domestication. Examples of people domesticating plants today may provide insights into this process. The researchers will study an ongoing relationship between seven Mexican cultural groups and weedy field mustard to get at the ecological and cultural aspects of domestication. Field mustard was domesticated in Europe and Asia and selected for many diverse forms, such as turnips, bok choi, and Chinese cabbage. It is unclear which domesticated or weedy forms were introduced to Mexico and what region they were introduced from. This project integrates information from genetic data, physical measurements, chemistry, and interviews with farmers, to study an ongoing domestication process. In addition, the project will include the training of undergraduate and graduate students, and contribute to our understanding of crop domestication, food security, and control of an invasive species.Weedy Brassica rapa provides a powerful study system to elucidate plant ferality and domestication. The availability of extensive genomic tools and the plant's short life cycle facilitate the use of inferentially powerful techniques to clarify the nature of local adaptation and artificial selection of invasive field mustard across a country-wide transect of Mexico. The research involves the novel application of RNA-sequencing, reciprocal transplant experiments, glucosinolate chemistry, and semi-structured and structure interviews, to study ongoing domestication of an important food source. Data will quantify the genetic structure and introduction history of B. rapa in Mexico, local uses and management practices of field mustard by different ethnic groups, and how different management regimes drive local population adaptation of the plant.